White Tail Tip ignored the chaos, using claws and teeth to pry open an emperor crab shell. With one bite, his eyes lit up! The taste wasn't as good as fried chicken, but it was fresh—something he had never tried before!
Beside him, Bai Mo took out his phone and messaged Fang Xiaoyu.
[Why didn't you come to join the feast?]
[There's emperor crab and French lamb chops.]
To his surprise, Fang Xiaoyu replied immediately with two words.
[Dieting, not eating!]
[We're having a beauty meeting with Fangyue, along with a group of secretaries and many female students.]
[Fangyue just learned a beauty potion that needs to be brewed and drunk fresh. We're watching her do alchemy.]
Fang Xiaoyu sent a picture.
In the brightly lit small conference room, it was packed with eager girls looking at the podium. On stage was Wang Fangyue, operating a small stainless steel medicine furnace, adding some green herb.
Bai Mo smacked his lips.
"For women, beauty has a far greater allure than food."
Fang Xiaoyu continued messaging.
[Today is Fangyue's birthday. After drinking the beauty potion, we'll celebrate her birthday together.]
[Enjoy your meal, don't wait for me.]
"Who said anything about waiting for you?"
Bai Mo gnawed on a lamb chop and waved to let the waiter bring a glass of red wine. "Mix it with Sprite for me, thanks."
The man and the fox ate for a long time when suddenly Master Chong came over with a wine glass.
He grinned, "Come on, let's go have a chat with Professor Zhang.
"He's an Alchemy Path master, a Sequence Eight bigwig—let's get acquainted."
Bai Mo looked at his Sprite-mixed red wine and at his lamb chops, truthfully not too keen on the Alchemy Path Sequence Eight... Why bother getting acquainted with him?
But then he thought, today is the farewell banquet for Professor Zhang, and it's because of him that they could enjoy such good food. Morally, it was indeed proper to say goodbye!
Bai Mo nodded, instructed White Tail Tip to eat and take on his own, then got up to join Master Chong at Professor Zhang's table.
Chairman Chen Shu was there too, and everyone had a drink and exchanged greetings.
They brought up Wang Fangyue again.
"It's Fangyue's birthday today, throwing a birthday beauty meeting with some girlfriends.
"Yet she won't come to send off her teacher, hahaha."
Professor Zhang complained verbally, but his expression was full of smiles.
"My student there is truly diligent and quite talented. She has grasped all Sequence Nine matters, a qualified [Strawman]. Yet her comprehension is slightly lacking and she couldn't fathom the Fire Moon Soup, hence couldn't advance.
"This time, leaving her in West State City, I'll ask you all to take care of her."
Chairman Chen Shu raised his glass.
"We're all colleagues, let's look after each other!"
"Haha, alright, cheers to that!"
The crowd raised their glasses, clinking them together in a lively atmosphere.
Professor Zhang mentioned Alchemy Dao again.
"Actually, I heard from the Ancient Immortal Master that there was a special shortcut once, which could help an insufficiently talented alchemist advance to Sequence Eight.
"It was a medicinal herb called Blood Downy Flower, which could replace the main ingredient of Fire Moon Soup, the Fire Downy Flower.
"Blood Downy Flower, Fire Downy Flower—only one word difference, but their pharmacology is vastly different.
"Brewing Fire Moon Soup with Fire Downy Flower requires one in a million talent.
"Using Blood Downy Flower to brew Fire Moon Soup is much easier; ordinary folk can succeed.
"Unfortunately, Blood Downy Flower has been lost to time; no one knows how to cultivate it precisely."
Everyone, including Master Chong nearby, listened attentively.
Bai Mo lounged in his chair, expressionless, internally dismissive.
Blood Downy Flower, compared to Fire Downy Flower, is even easier to obtain—how could it be lost?
Except, that thing is too eerie, too creepy...
Chairman Chen Shu sighed.
"Of the existing Sword, Martial, Pill, Amulet, Gu, Beast six paths, five are quite ominous.
"Only the Alchemy Dao remains a clean path, without bloody affairs.
"I'm truly envious of you, Professor Zhang.
"Let's drink!"
The crowd raised their glasses again.
...
In the small conference room.
Wang Fangyue, feeling joyful, distributed the potion from the pot into small wine glasses and, together with a few female secretaries, handed them to the sisters present.
"Today is my birthday, and I received lovely gifts from my sisters. Let this cup of beauty potion be my return gift to you all!"
Dozens of female secretaries and students sat in the audience area, each receiving a small cup of beauty potion.
They laughed and expressed gratitude.
"Fangyue, this is amazing!"
"Oh, Fangyue, what if I want to marry you?"
"I declare, Fangyue will be my bestie from now on! Anyone giving Fangyue trouble at work is giving me trouble!"
"I declare too!"
"I declare too hahaha!"
"I do, I do!"
...
Yu Tingting sat in the back row with a few female students. When she received the beauty potion, she saw the amber-colored liquid with a grassy aroma, intoxicating even before she drank it. She couldn't help but bow her head and take a deep inhale, savoring the scent.
Her heart couldn't help but lament; why do other paths have it so easy? No need to kill, no need for martial arts—just alchemy, even crafting delicious beauty potions?
Immortal Dao is really unfair!
Then she saw Wang Fangyue, standing on the podium, raise the last cup of beauty potion, looking at her girlfriends in the audience.
"Sisters, I will stay at our West State City branch for work from now on. Please support me.
"Today is also my birthday; thank you all for coming to spend it with me.
"Let's drink this cup and become beautiful together!"
All the sisters responded with laughter.
"Haha, alright!"
"Thanks, Fangyue!"
"Can't wait to drink it!"
Wang Fangyue felt happier; settling in West State City meant better prospects, supportive leadership, and good colleague relationships. Moreover, her Ancient Immortal Master was exceptionally kind, never forcing her, even promising her a Blood Downy Flower tonight to help her advance to Sequence Eight!
She couldn't help but laugh, and together with the sisters in the conference room, tilted her neck and drained her cup of beauty potion.
It was then, in the brightly lit conference room, that dozens of girls lifted dozens of snowy white necks, raised dozens of small wine glasses, and drank it all.
Wang Fangyue only felt this cup, spicy and fragrant upon entry, turn into a warm line slipping down her throat.
A recipe from her master, truly deserves its reputation!
A recipe from her master, truly deserves Vermilion Powder!
The concocted potion is indeed fragrant!
Suddenly, she felt something wrong...
"Ugh..."
For reasons unknown, she suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to vomit!
"Ugh... ah..."
A large gush of acid, along with the beauty potion she had just drunk, was thrown up, splashing onto the podium floor.
"Cough, cough..."
She hunched over, coughing, wiping the corners of her mouth.
"What's going on?"
She heard dry retches again and again, looked up and saw that in the audience, dozens of sisters were retching, clutching their throats.
What happened?
Did something go wrong with the potion?
Wang Fangyue was panicked but saw dozens of sisters simultaneously raising their heads, revealing snowy white necks.
They opened their mouths, and every one of them spat out a flower!